Monthly Archives: March 2017

Remember last year’s inaugural Surf & Turf dinner? The music, the food, the competitive auction… Oh, you didn’t get to go because it was sold out? Well, tickets are now on sale for the second annual fundraiser! After the success of last year’s event, we knew it would become a staple of our fundraising efforts, while providing an entertaining evening for everyone in attendance.

The event, which takes place on May 27th, is a chance for Edmontonians to come together to support Albertans who face barriers to education and employment. DECSA relies on generous sponsors and community support to keep our doors open, and this Surf & Turf is one of the best and most enjoyable ways to show your support for our clients. If you’re concerned about breaking down barriers for people with disabilities, sexually exploited individuals, people facing mental health issues, and/or any Albertans dealing with other complex issues, you’ll want to take advantage of this opportunity.

Our guests had very creative dance moves!

Join us for fresh lobster, flown directly from P.E.I. Enjoy premium rib-eye steaks (or a vegetarian dish, if you prefer). Indulge in some dancing, and make use of our cash bar.

If you’re seeking additional ways to contribute, you can take part in our live and silent auctions, which will include items produced by local businesses. You can choose to bid on a wide range of items, including artwork, airline tickets, hotel stays, gift certificates, and even a luxurious Sunday brunch.

Dogs have been providing humans with companionship and comfort for centuries, but they have also begun to fill specific, diverse roles related to neurological and physical disabilities. There are about a hundred service dogs in Alberta alone, so it’s possible that you’ll encounter one of them in your workplace. Whether this makes you joyful or nervous, it’s important to educate yourself on the different types of service dogs, and proper etiquette when interacting with a service dog team.

Types of Service Dogs

You may picture a guide dog when you think of service animals, but the range of disabilities dogs can assist with has expanded dramatically in recent years, as has the variety of breeds that can be trained. You’re as likely to see a poodle as a retriever, and the list of suitable breeds continues to grow. In 2017, you’ll meet service dogs that are trained to do any number of tasks, from easing anxiety, to alerting handlers of seizures, to detecting changes in blood sugar for those with diabetes. Here is just a small sample of the jobs service dogs can perform:

Hearing dogs can alert deaf and hard of hearing handlers of important sounds such as doorbells and fire alarms.

Mobility assistance dogs are taught to retrieve dropped objects, brace handlers who may have balance difficulties, and even pull wheelchairs up ramps.

Diabetic alert dogs are able to sense changes in blood sugar levels far sooner than their handlers, allowing them to address the situation before it becomes dangerous.

Seizure alert dogs are sensitive to oncoming seizures, and can help their handlers find a safe place and fetch medication.

Psychiatric service dogs work with handlers who live with conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. They provide a general sense of safety, but are also trained to perform specific tasks like redirecting obsessive, harmful habits, or warning the handler when they begin to dissociate.

Allergy detection dogs will be on guard for allergens that may harm their handlers.

The first thing to remember is that, while accommodating a service dog team may seem a little scary at first, it’s a relatively easy and rewarding process. In Canada, employers are legally obligated to allow service dogs to accompany their handlers just about everywhere, so education and preparation are essential.

Service dogs can be different breeds and serve a variety of needs. Photo provided by Please Don’t Pet Me.

When you meet a service dog team, always address the handler directly. Never approach the dog or acknowledge it without first acknowledging the handler. In fact, it’s generally unacceptable to touch, speak to, or feed the dog lest you distract it from its important work. The best course of action is to ignore the dog completely, as difficult as that may seem. If it helps, consider the dog an assistance device so that you’re less tempted to interact with it while it’s on duty. (Yes, a sleeping dog is still a working dog.)
Avoid making assumptions. If the handler’s disability is not visible, or the dog is not wearing a recognizable indicator such as a harness or vest, refrain from questioning it. Trust that your employer has done their due diligence in ensuring the service dog team is within its rights to be there. Not everyone is receptive to discussing or even disclosing their disabilities, so keep courtesy and respect in mind, always.
Finally, be proactive about disclosing any allergies or phobias you may experience. Dog handlers and employers can address environmental issues, but only if you inform them. Service animals tend to be easy to accommodate. They are highly-trained and well-mannered—so much so that you may even forget they’re there at all. Still, their presence can cause workplace issues, which must be solved as quickly as possible.

Employers must honour Albertan law and allow service dogs into their workplaces, provided they were trained at an accredited school and the employee has a bona fide disability. There are various strategies for educating other employees and dealing with potential problems, so research and consultation with the handler are vital for a smooth, successful transition.
While service dogs can usually be relied upon to behave themselves, handlers are ultimately and solely responsible for their conduct and should be expected to respond readily to behavioural issues as soon as they arise. Employers must balance the needs of their other employees with the rights afforded to all service dog teams. There may be some bumpy spots in the road, but once properly settled, a service dog can be a beneficial addition to any workplace.

There’s never been a better time to use the internet as your primary job-search tool. Recruiters and employers are turning to online job boards and social media platforms to attract candidates. If you’ve applied for a job recently, chances are you did so online.

It seems like a win-win, doesn’t it? Employers and recruiters can reach a seemingly limitless number of people at very little cost, and job-seekers can post resumes, link to online portfolios, and dazzle potential hiring managers with their LinkedIn profiles.

A third group has come along to taint the online job market: scammers. When they’re not pretending to be African princes with assets to transfer, or angry FBI officials intent on terrifying you into revealing personal information, scammers are luring unsuspecting job-seekers using fake but enticing job postings. Unlike the emails from that Nigerian prince, though, these scams aren’t always easy to spot, and can fool even the most tech-savvy among us. In fact, a 2015 study found that 20% of millennials had fallen for at least one internet career scam.

The consequences of falling for a fake job offer can range from hurt pride, to a considerably lighter bank account, to identity theft. In the worst cases, you can even be charged if the scammers convince you to participate in illegal activity. If you’re shaking your head, thinking, “I’d never fall for anything that dangerous,” consider that there are roughly 60 fake “opportunities” posted for every legitimate one. No matter how confident you feel, it’s best to be on your guard.

Recognizing job scams online requires observational and research skills. In this article, we’ll present just a few red flags to watch for before hitting “apply.”

“We found your resume, and…”

You have an impressive resume, so you’ve posted it to every available space. Your hope is that an employer will come across it and be impressed enough to contact you directly. Just days after uploading your resume to every job board you can find, the email arrives. The employer or recruiter found your resume on Indeed, or Monster, or Career Builder, and thinks you’d be a perfect fit for a specific position. One brief employment application form to fill out, and you’re on your way.

We understand: it’s exciting to receive a job offer, especially when you didn’t even have to apply, but this is the very reason you should exercise extreme caution. Scammers sift through posted resumes looking for victims, and will send emails to everyone they can, hoping someone will bite.

Don’t let fraud get in the way of your online job search. #FPM2017

“Work from the comfort of your home!”

Wouldn’t that be perfect? Who wouldn’t love working from home?

It turns out that work-from-home opportunities are incredibly popular, which is exactly why you should be immediately skeptical. Not every remote job offer is illegitimate, but scammers find it easiest to work with these types of jobs, because there is less accountability. If you never have to walk into a physical office, meet with your interviewer, and take a look around, the chances are greater that you’ll overlook sketchy details.

“No experience necessary! Make $40.00/hr!”

You’ve found a goldmine. This job seems perfect. Right? Right?

The aim, as we’ve said, is to lure victims, so naturally scammers will use language designed to cloud judgment and create feelings of good fortune.

“We want to hire you—now!”

The tone of the ad or email suggests you’re nearly out of time. If you don’t pounce, your dream job will slip away! Act now!

Don’t mistake a scammer’s pushy attitude for eagerness. A real hiring manager or recruiter won’t use aggressive communication. Scammers build a sense of urgency, then use it as a hook. If potential victims feel excited and rushed, they’re more likely to make a rash decision.

“Contact our hr manger at johnsmith@gmail.com!”

Okay, so there’s a spelling error, but who doesn’t make the odd mistake now and then? The email address looks a bit odd, but maybe their servers are down?

Actually, you should never ignore spelling and grammatical errors, especially if they occur more than once or are particularly glaring. A lack of proper proofreading usually signals a lack of professionalism, as does the use of a Gmail address. No reputable company is going to use an email address from Gmail, Hotmail, or other free domains. If the ad or offer doesn’t look as though it’s been made by a professional, pass right by.

“Just fill out the attached form…”

Hmm…they want a social insurance number, a copy of a driver’s license, and banking info…seems reasonable.

Maybe not. Employers do need some sensitive information from you once they hire you, including your social insurance number, but revealing any of that information before you’ve even had an interview is a sure sign that you’re being scammed (and, no, a quick interview over instant message does not count). Scammers take advantage of people’s desperation for a job, and use it to manipulate them into giving up information they’d normally be very guarded about revealing. Next thing you know, they’ll be asking you to transfer bitcoin from your personal account to another overseas, and that never ends well.

These red flags are only the beginning. Many scammers are very sophisticated, to the point where they upload polished-looking websites of their own, or copy someone else’s in order to pose as a reputable employer or recruiter. They may spoof email addresses, impersonate real people, and use any number of other tactics to appear more trustworthy. This is where research comes in: if a job offer or advertisement seems suspicious, but there is nothing glaringly wrong, do your homework. Contact the company through various channels to verify that the job and the person you’re communicating with actually exist. Use a search engine to find out whether anyone else has been scammed by the same person or company. Investigate all suspicious details before proceeding. It may seem like an excessive amount of effort, but no effort is too great when it comes to protecting your identity, money, and reputation.